A customary fast start from Charlie Wi saw him take the first-round lead at the Children&aposs Miracle Network Hospitals Classic on Thursday as Australian Nick O&aposHern finds himself five strokes off the pace. Wi, though, is well-placed in Florida and is only too familiar with the front-runner role, the South Korean having led eight PGA Tour tournaments in his career with no wins to his name. The 40-year-old finished with back-to-back birdies for an eight-under 64 on the easier Palm Course at the Disney World Resort to lead American Tommy Gainey and Colombian Camilo Villegas by a stroke. Villegas reeled off three late birdies to take the clubhouse lead with a 65 and is one of many players at the event needing a good result to hang on to their full Tour card for next year. Villegas is 150th on the list, with only the top 125 gaining a berth next season, while Gainey has little to gain even if he wins the event. A six-man all-American group at five-under includes Ken Duke, Matt Every, Kevin Chappell, Colt Knost, Matt Bettencourt and Brendan Steele. O&aposHern leads the Australian contingent at three-under along with Matthew Goggin, while Rod Pampling, who is sitting precariously at 124th on the money list, is a shot further back at two-under. The top 12 players on the leaderboard all played the easier Palm Course with Swede Henrik Stenson and Charles Howell best-placed after carding four-under on the Magnolia course.
Author: Omnisport